Category Archive

I had a surprisingly large harvest of jalapeño peppers when I cleaned out the garden this weekend, so we decided to make some poppers. They are a little time consuming to prepare, but I did a large batch and am freezing some of the stuffed peppers (not wrapped in bacon yet). We will see if they thaw and cook as well as the fresh when we do them up for a Lions-Packers halftime snack on Thanksgiving.

Hot, cheesy, wrapped in bacon, with a little kick.

36 jalapeño peppers

8 oz. cream cheese

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

2 tsp. minced garlic

18 strips bacon

Wash the peppers. Using a paring knife, cut off the stems and make a long slice down one side of the pepper. Take the tip of the knife and carefully clean out the insides of the pepper. Leave more of the pith if you want a hotter pepper. Discard the insides and be very careful — your hands are full of the jalapeño oils at this point. Do not rub your eyes, put in your contacts, or let your dog lick your fingers. Please.

Mix the cream cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic. With a butter knife, stuff the peppers with the cream cheese mixture. (You can be creative here, mix in some chives, basil, or other herbs if you’d like.)

Cut the strips of bacon in half and wrap one half strip around each stuffed pepper. Secure with a toothpick. If you have a grill going, you can line them up on a skewer.

Bake on a slotted pan at 375 until bacon is fully cooked, about 30 minutes. Or put on the grill and cook until done. You might want to put them under the broiler for a moment to get a good crisp. Let cool slightly before eating.

We gave these edible favorites to friends and family this year in hopes that the gift will last well past the holidays. They’re a good way to give a personal gift to someone for a housewarming, as a thank-you or for a birthday. Print some nice labels and tags for an individual touch.

Include recipe cards for friends and relatives who also like to cook and the gift will last even longer.

Mix the ground meat, oregano, hot sauce, chipotle powder and one egg in a large bowl with your hands. Form six to eight burger patties and cook them on a hot grill or in a frying pan with some coconut oil.

Caramelize the sliced onion in butter on a frying pan. Cook the bacon in the same pan. Fry the remaining eggs in the grease from the bacon. Over easy works best, as you still want a runny yolk.

Place some spinach on a plate. Place the burger on top of the spinach, then top that with bacon, the fried egg and some mustard.

These ribs rock. The spice rub pairs well with a homemade barbecue sauce or with the Indian mango sauce. The key is to cook them low and slow. Be patient, you will be rewarded.

Indian spice rub

If you can, finish your ribs on the grill.

1 Tbs. curry powder

2 tsp. sea salt

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp. tumeric

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 beer and some water, for the pan

Combine all the spices together. Rub on all sides of the ribs. Place the ribs in a roasting pan and pour some beer and/or water into the pan. Tightly seal the pan with foil and cook at 200 degrees for about four hours. If you are cooking them on the grill, wrap them in foil and cook them over indirect heat for about 1 1/2 hours. Either way, finish them over direct heat on the grill for 10 minutes, brushing with either homemade barbecue sauce or the mango sauce, recipe follows.

Mango sauce

1 Tbs. coconut oil

2 shallots, chopped

1 1/2 tsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 Tbs. fresh grated ginger

2 cloves garlic

2 mangoes, peeled and cut into chunks

Heat the coconut oil in a saucepan and add the shallots. Cook over medium heat for several minutes, until the soften. Reduce the heat and add the curry powder, pepper, ginger, garlic. Saute for a minute or so to release the flavors, but be careful to not burn the garlic. Add the mango chunks and continue to heat until the mango softens and you can mush it easily, about 15 minutes. Puree in a food processor, if desired. Brush onto ribs just before serving, and serve on the side with the ribs.

Keep a jar in your fridge and you'll be all set for your next backyard barbecue.

1/2 onion, chopped fine

1 Tbs. butter

6 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

1.5 cups stock (beef or pork will work)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 Tbs. dijon mustard

2 Tbs. chili powder

2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tbs. olive oil

1 tsp. sea salt

Melt the butter on low heat. Add the onions and cook slowly to caramelize them and release some of the sweetness. Once they’re caramelized, add the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for at least 30 minutes.

Let the sauce cool a little, then puree it in a food processor or blender to make it smooth.

Carefully choose your soy sauce for this recipe, making sure you’re okay eating what’s listed on the ingredients. Only 2 tsp. are used in this recipe, so even though soy itself is a primal no-go, this is an area where I am flexible for flavor. Also check your balsamic vinegar label, some contain gluten. Mine is labeled “gluten free.” If you’re worried about either of these ingredients, you can just bake or grill the asparagus with butter, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper — it’ll still be delicious!

Place the trimmed asparagus in a 9X13 baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat. Sprinkle on some sea salt and pepper. Bake at 400 for 6-8 minutes or until they start to soften and become tender. If grilling, use foil instead of a baking dish.

While the asparagus is cooking, mix together together the melted butter, olive oil, garlic, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Brush onto the cooked asparagus, and cover. It will continue to steam and cook while covered.

Place the bacon in a large frying pan and fry until soft. Wrap each scallop in one slice of bacon, securing with a toothpick. Place the scallops back into the pan with the bacon grease, and fry for about 1 minute on each side. If you overcook them, the scallops will become tough and rubbery. You will get a nice brown sear on each side from the hot pan and bacon grease. If grilling, use foil for the bacon (grease dripping into the flames is not good) and grill the scallops directly on a hot grill greased with olive oil.